Inflatable brassiere



April 17, 1956 WH|TE 2,741,769

INFLATABLE BRASSIERE Filed Jan. 20, 1954 INVENTOR nite This invention relates to improvements in inflatable brassieres.

Various types of padding, generally of soft resilient latex, have been employed in brassieres to give a desired contour to the bust of the wearer, and, for the same purpose, brassieres having inflatable pockets have also been employed. The ultimate purpose of such appare is to improve the appearance of the wearer and consequently, to satisfy this requirement, the apparel must simulate a natural bust form of the desired contour. in the past, devices of the kind above mentioned have failed in some degree by reason of the fact that in establishing the desired bust contour, they, of necessity, had a rigidity which is not characteristic of a natural bust of the same form. The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved brassiere which will give the wearer a desired bust contour and at the same time the natural characteristics of a bust form of the hind being simulated.

According to the present invention, there is provided a brassiere which has inflatable pockets which overlie the breasts of the wearer, as in conventional inflatable rassieres, and leading to each of the pockets is an air tube through which the wearer may force and withdraw a supply of air in addition to that which maintains the inflatable pockets in their desired condition of expansion. The additional air supply is forced into and released from the inflatable pockets by means of an air sack communicating with each air tube and which are supported on the brassiere so that they are positioned, respectively, immediately beneath the armpits of the wearer. in this manner, the natural movement of the arms of the wearer, while walking or otherwise moving about, will force into and release from the inflatable pockets of the brassiere the additional quantity of air, and this will impart a natural appearing bust movement to the wearer of the brassiere. It will be understood that the inflatable pockets and the air sacks are constructed of an air impervious material.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a brassiere comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates a conventional inflatable brassiere improved according to this invention. The brassiere comprises a foundation piece ill to which are sealed the contoured patches 12, 14 to form inflatable pockets between the patches 12, 14 and the foundation piece it). As will be evident from Figure 1, foundation piece it) is a ring structure which substantially encircles the body of the wearer. An air tube 16 communicates at one States Pater end with each of the pockets so formed. The other end of each of the tubes 16 communicates with an air sack 13. The sacks 18 are supported on the brassiere so that they will be positioned, respectively, beneath the arms of the wearer. The wearer, by drawing her arms inwardly toward the body, may thus compress the air sacks and force an additional quantity of air into the inflatable pockets f the brassiere. Correspondingly, this additional quantity of air may be released from the inflatable pockets by moving the arms away from the body. The same effect may be achieved by positioning the air sacks it? so that they are compressed by forward swinging movement of the arms allowed to expand upon back- 'ng swinging movement, as naturally occurs when walk- It will be understood from the foregoing explanasary to form the inflatable pockets of material which, upon being extended to give the desired breast contour, will offer greater resistance to further extension by the additional quantity of air than will the sacks 18. Otherwise, the additional quantity of air will not be forced back into the sacks 18 when arm pressure on them is released.

Preferably the air tubes it; are flat so that they make no easily observable deformation of the breast contour. in most cases, the air sacks 13 will lie almost immediately adjacent to the inflatable pockets so that only a very short piece of ir line will be required. it will also be understood that the present invention contemplates the arrangements whereby the air sacks 13 are merely lateral e nsions of the inflatable pockets to the degree n cessary to position the laterally extended portions beneath the arm of the wearer of the brassiere.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brassiere comprising a foundation piece of ring structure, said foundation piece substantially encircling the body of the wearer; a pair of bust receiving pockets, each pocket having an outer layer of elastic, air impervious material providing a cupped contour normally presenting a convex front surface and an inner layer of air imprevious material providing a concave rear surface for the reception or" the bust of the wea er, said layers being joined at their peripheral portions to one another and to said foundation piece of ring structure to provide an air retaining space between said layers; a pair of air sacks disposed closely adjacent to said bust receiving pockets and comprising a portion of said foundation piece, each sack having an out r layer of elastic, air impervious material, the inner layer of each sack being said foundation piece, said outer layer of each sack being joined at its peripheral portions to said foundation piece to provide an air retaining space between said foundation piece and said outer layer of each sack; and air tubes connecting said bust receiving pockets to said air sacks whereby pressure on said sacks forces air from said sacks, through said air tubes, and into said bust receiving pockets.

2. A brassiere as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air tubes are substantially fiat and connect adjacent sides of said bust receiving pockets and said air sacks.

a co References {Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,627 Gensch Aug. 7, 1883 665,260 Ostermeyer Ian. 1, 1901 990,279 Mayer et al Apr. 25, 1911 2,544,300 Davenport et a1 Mar. 6, i951 FOREIGN PATENTS 469,234 Great Britain July 21, 1937 

